Thanks for joining us during National Photography Month!

This May, we celebrated National Photography Month with photos from #yourpubliclands, tips from the experts, and some travel inspiration for your next trip to BLM-managed lands. Check out our Instagram for a recap of National Photography Month, and follow for more!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the Bureau of Land Management!

Get to Know BLM’s #WomeninSTEM: Andrea Chavez, Wildlife Biologist

Andrea Chavez is the office lead for the Wildlife, Riparian, and Special Status Species programs in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She works closely with an interdisciplinary team to evaluate impacts to wildlife and their habitats from a variety of projects on public land.

“My job helps fulfill the BLM’s mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of those lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations by protecting native species and ecosystems so that they may persist and be sustainable in the long term. By applying a scientific approach to studying and managing these lands, we can develop and implement better ways of protecting species and managing the lands for the many uses that the American public needs.”

Andrea joined the BLM after finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of New Mexico where she conducted research on the evolution of small mammals and plants. She also conducted research at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory on the activity of American pikas along elevational gradients. Andrea was also a researcher in Kenya at the Mpala Research Station studying the ecology and wildlife of the African savanna ecosystem and addressing challenges of the wildland-urban interface. Back in the United States, Andrea worked at the U.S. Forest Service as a wildland fire dispatcher, which exposed her to federal and state land management and instilled in her a sense of cohesion and cooperation among the land and wildlife management agencies in New Mexico.

#ICYMI: BLM + National Wild Turkey Federation Restore Habitat for Wild Turkey and Quail in New Mexico

In 2016, Nathan Curnutt, a fuel specialist with the Roswell Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico, earned a conservation award for his work on projects benefiting wild turkeys. The “National Making Tracks with the BLM” Award is presented jointly with the National Wild Turkey Federation and honors work done to improve hunting as conservation on public lands.

Nathan Curnutt has been the individual leading the efforts with regards to coordination, budget and project prescription development on these various habitat improvement activities. To date, more than 200 acres in the Pecos District have been thinned of the invasive pinyon-juniper, providing immediate benefits to Merriam’s wild turkeys and countless other wildlife species. Invasive species are a pesky problem for many ecosystems- outcompeting native plants that wildlife depend on, contributing to soil erosion, and sometimes serving as a health hazard due to increased potential for wildfire.

Fort Stanton is home to the Merriam’s subspecies of the Wild Turkey. The landscape work including thinning of pinyon pine and juniper, piling of slash and follow-up burning has and will continue to improve the habitat for many species including wild turkey. The openings created by the thinning operations have greatly improved the brood rearing habitat and nesting habitat for both turkey and Montezuma quail. The created openings have also encouraged antelope to reoccupy portions of the treatment area- previously forced out due to the invasive pinyon and juniper.

Fresh snow at Embudo Canyon, New Mexico

Located a short distance to the southeast from Dixon, New Mexico, is Embudo Canyon. This very unassuming location offers a great get away from hustle and bustle. These photos here are of fresh snow at the beautiful canyon that craters the Embudo Creek. 

Photos by Sherman Hogue, BLM

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RECAP OF MYPUBLICLANDS INSTAGRAM TAKEOVER BY BLM New Mexico!

Last week BLM New Mexico shared a sampling of the best places to visit in the “Land of Enchantment”!

Here we share a recap of some of the photos from BLM New Mexico. For more great ideas for exploring your public lands, follow BLM New Mexico on Facebook and Twitter.

 Up Next in Our Weekly Instagram Takeover is New Mexico!

Explore your public lands in New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas this week and discover what we’re all about. Follow @mypubliclands on Instagram to get the most out of social media by experiencing your public lands in the Land of Enchantment!

#ThursdayThoughts from New Mexico’s Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks National Monument

"The best, yet most difficult, part of capturing the beauty of the Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks National Monument is staying focused. When photographing such a stunning landscape, I find myself overloaded with image potential. I think that everyone should visit the monument and see it in it's full glory and they would see the importance of caring for our public lands for future generations.”  - Sherman Hogue, BLM New Mexico

This year, the Bureau of Land Management is celebrating two significant milestones: our 70th Birthday and the 40th Anniversary of our guiding law, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. What better time to celebrate #yourpubliclands and recognize our outstanding employees for their service to America's public lands.